Synopses & Reviews
Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball great Jackie Robinson, shares an inspirational story about her family in Tanzania. AG Ford is a NEW YORK TIMES best-selling artist and winner of the NAACP Award.
Auntie Sharon and Grandmother Bibi have come to visit the family in Tanzania--all the way from America! Soon it will be Bibi's 85th birthday, and her seven grandchildren are planning a big surprise!
After days together at home telling stories and filling gaps from the years spent apart, it's time to embark on their secret journey--a safari in Serengeti National Park. But too soon, it's their last day together. And in a bittersweet moment, at the ruins of an old slave port, Bibi's African-born grandchildren come to learn what happened to their ancestors who went by slave ship to America.
Sharon Robinson eloquently portrays the joys and pains of a family living on two continents. And she gives African-American history a powerful new perspective when seen through the eyes of modern-day African children. AG Ford's luminous oil paintings reflect all the warmth and spirit of this moving story.
Review
Praise for PROMISES TO KEEP
-Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year, IRA Notable Book, YALSA Best Book for Young Adults, Children's Book Award, Captial Choice, ALA Top 10 Youth Sports Books
* "[Robinson's] private view of her father's accomplishments, placed within the context of American sports and social history, makes for absorbing reading." -- BOOKLIST, starred review
"An excellent and much-needed addition to the Jackie Robinson story." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS
* SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL and PUBLISHERS WEEKLY starred reviews
Praise for TESTING THE ICE
-Parents' Choice Award
"Jackie Robinson's daughter builds a charming story around a childhood memory. . . . Nelson's close-ups expertly provide suspense. . . . With the basics of his biography efficiently woven in, this is a lovely introduction to a baseball legend." -- NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
"The daughter of the man who broke baseball's color barrier weaves together two stories about courage. One is well-known. . . . The other occurred after he retired from baseball, on a frozen pond at his house in Stamford, Conn., witnessed only by his kids and their friends. At their request, Robinson, who couldn't swim, carefully and successfully tested the ice, moving his daughter to think: "My dad is the bravest man alive." Kadir Nelson's vibrant watercolors and oils, based on Robinson family photos, take on a life of their own." -- USA TODAY
About the Author
Sharon Robinson, daughter of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, is the author of several works of fiction and nonfiction. She has also written several widely praised nonfiction books about her father, including JACKIE'S NINE: BECOMING YOUR BEST SELF and PROMISES TO KEEP: HOW JACKIE ROBINSON CHANGED AMERICA.
A recipient of the NAACP Image Award, AG Ford has illustrated many award-winning books for children including GOAL by Mina Javaherbin and the NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller BARACK by Jonah Winter. He lives in Dallas, Texas.